Description

Hearthtown is, by far, the friendliest community any traveler
could hope to encounter. In this large, unwalled agricultural town, the weary traveler
will find clean inns, crowded taverns, plentiful ale, a warm fire and some of the best
home cooked dishes in the lands. Hearthtown has a definite sense of community in that most
townsfolk know each other and are at least distantly related. This social atmosphere is
especially apparent during a festival (which Hearthtown holds frequently). During such
celebrations, everyone comes out to sample the latest brews, exchange hand-made crafts and
feast. Outlanders are always welcome in Hearthtown (as long as they dont start any
trouble). The biggest such festival is the Summer Festival and includes a
now-famous cook off which involves closely guarded secret recipes and fierce
competition among the finest grumman chefs. Originally, this was a rabbit stew
contest, but over the generations, the dish changes each year. From the simplest
country inn to the most extravagant dining experience, the city prides itself on
being a pleasure to the palette.

Festivals and Faires

Planting Festival

Day and night are equal length. Official beginning of spring and summer.

Harvesting Festival

Day and night are equal length. Official beginning of autumn and winter.

City Infrastructure

Street Lights

Each building has at least one small oil lantern on a post by the street. These are maintained by the local shop keepers and residents as a common courtesy to those who might be walking by. The lantern next to the front door signifies if the shop is open or not.

Government and Public Establishments

Hall of Councils

The Jannerus Capital Building is quite modest in appearance. The only decoration that distinguishes it are the bright and cheerful yellow banners that are flown when the council is in session. The Hearthtown High Council meets here once a week to discuss the events of the day over a splendid dinner of roast pheasant in grey pepper sauce. This building also holds the offices of the city militia.

Trader's Market

Main market square of Hearthtown. Actually, this is little more than a square grassy field in the middle of town. Twice a month this field is filled with tents, carts, people and food.

The City Guard of Hearthtown

For the most part, Hearthtown is a
peaceful community of friends and neighbors. Very little security is needed
here. The city guard of Hearthtown consists of about 700 grum who serve as
"guardians". These are volunteers who serve the community in a
security role. Most of them have regular professions, but take shifts patrolling
the city in pairs and are available whenever the citizens need them. In general,
Hearthtown is very peaceful compared to other
cities. These guardians see little action, mostly petty theft, fights, drunks,
etc.

In times of need, the city guard is supplemented
by a militia which is manned by the general citizenry... farmers, craftsmen and
such wielding whatever weapons they have.

Important People of Hearthtown

Lord Nirran is the Speaker of the Council at Hearthtown and the supreme
governmental authority of the nation.

Balderich, Chef

Balderich is probably the most celebrated chef in the town of Hearthtown and
a frequent winner at the various cooking contests of the many festivals held in
this land.

Rauglan, Guardian and Hero

Rauglan is something of a hero in the lands of Jannerus. He is a former
"guardian" of the city guard of Hearthtown but now wanders the area
defending villages. On occasion, a monster will wander down from the western
Sentinels or crawl out from the muck of the Stench Bog. Rauglan searches for
these threats and tries his best to protect farms and livestock from them. More
recently, the Brotherhood of the Serpent Tongue has been raiding further and
further out from the Sentinels and is a growing concern for border villages of
Jannerus. Rauglan defends against these as well. Rauglan is often gone for weeks
at a time and then will appear, in one of the towns, with a new scar and a
monster's pelt or the equipment from a raiding party. He frequents Hearthtown,
but visits every town at least twice a year. He seems always to be on the move.
Because he protects livestock from wolves and other predators, the farmers of
southeastern Jannerus love him and provide for him, whatever his
needs.

Shops and Guilds

Name and Proprietor

Description

Steel GryphonChristopher Tomas

Inn/Tavern - Truly a magnificent inn and
tavern, and the oldest in Jannerus. The Steel Gryphon offers a wide variety of foods from
all the lands. Something is offered for everyone here: commoners with a simpler taste and
more modest means may enjoy a hearty serving of beef and fresh bread, while wealthier
patrons are encouraged to enjoy the Spiced Vurriken with a side plate of the finest
Normidian cheeses. The variety of drinkables is no less impressive: goldsmoke brandy,
emerald wine from Cyrell, Gaithian brandy from the
War Vale and Davidson's Best from
Mercia can all be found here. Owned and operated by a
spirited man and his eight sons and daughters, the inn is located at the crossed roads in
the center of town. If "All roads pass through Hearthtown", as the saying goes,
then all roads do indeed pass through The Steel Gryphon. Highly recommended. The Gryphon's proprietor, Christopher Tomas, is a quiet spoken human male, slender and with curly brown hair. He has a hint of grumman blood in him.

Farmers' RestSolarrs

Tavern - Farmer's Rest is a comfortable
tavern on the outskirts of town, and is very aptly named. Many farmers and field hands
will stop here after a hard day's labor, even if it's out of their way. Over the
centuries, the pub has become the social center of the area's agricultural community. It
has survived good years and bad years. Always, a working man can come here for a
well-earned ale and a listening ear. Those who seek to hire or be hired for fieldwork will
post notices on the large board by the bar. For those who don't read, the dwarven
bartender Solarrs is a superb message keeper. Solarrs bought the tavern almost twenty
years ago, with money he saved from a long career as a carpenter in Dunlyn. He's a very
respected man, and is often called to Hearthtown council meetings to speak on behalf of
the farmers.

Happy Belly InnEileen Rondun

Inn - What can be said about old Henry
Rondun, beloved town drunk and supreme joke teller of the Grumman nations. The story is
that Henry won the deed to the Happy Belly Inn in a card game in Drakkel. Not being one to
settle down from his reckless youth, he nevertheless moved to Hearthtown and became an
innkeeper. He married, had a daughter, and embraced his new role in life. He also embraced
several of the new barmaids he'd hired to wait tables. His wife left him soon thereafter.
Henry again started to enjoy a little too much of the good life, drinking too much,
staying out all night, and getting in trouble with the law. He got drunker, fatter, and
more carefree as the years went by, and soon had his inn closed by the city due to lack of
maintenence. Hearthtown takes great pride in its public establishments and has its
standards to keep. Luckily, his daughter Eileen, now a young adult, recently stepped in
and bought him out. Eileen runs the the Happy Belly Inn now, and she alone has turned it
into a respectable place. Henry is still to be found there on a daily basis, often
inviting himself to join customers at their table to tell them his latest dwarf joke in
between belches. Eileen tolerates her father's behavior (but only just barely..)because he
means well and nobody seems to mind. His favorite joke: "How many dwarves does it
take to hang up a tapestry?" "None! They can't reach it! They're not troll
enough! Hahhahaha! Get it? Troll enough! Haha, that one kills me! Buy
me a drink?"

Four Sons' BakeryThe Brothers Creggan

Bakery - This very popular Baker's shop
is famous for its sweet honey-bread and toasted rolls. The brothers who run the shop do a
lot of business preparing and packaging their bread specifically for road travelers. It
doesn't go stale as quickly as normal provisions, and as the brothers claim, it
"makes the most grueling journey seem as pleasant as a summer's day picnic."
This may be true, but as many loyal customers know, there's no substitute for Four Sons'
bread freshly baked, right out of the oven. Many Hearthtown citizens maintain that the
thing they miss most when out traveling is having breakfast here, on the large oaken
porch the brothers have out back, enjoying the gently rising suns. The four brothers are Tusk, Walker, Flicker and Thumbs. They run the bakery with their wives and children.

Tregor's Stable HouseTregor

General Store and Stable House - Tregor,
a peculiar half-elf, owns this general store and stable. He's usually pretty busy,
especially during the holiday seasons. Stablers do well in Hearthtown because there's no
major river nearby. It's either road travel or nothing. This suits Tregor just fine,
because he's deathly afraid of boats. And don't misunderstand that sentence. He's not
afraid of the water at all... in fact, he's an excellent swimmer. This man is absolutely
scared to death of ...boats. The mere thought of boats, ships, oars, sails, rigging,
caulking, or anything that floats sends genuine shivers up and down his spine.
One time, a group of adventurers went to him to see about some provisions, and when Tregor
saw that two members of the group were dragging a canoe behind them, he fainted dead away
on the spot. The neighbouring townsfolk think that he should talk to someone about this.
They're just not sure who.

Gundren's Stone and AnvilGundren

Smithy - This shop is run by an
eight-foot tall ogre blacksmith by the name of Gundren. He's so unbelieveably strong and
skilled that he can craft most simple items with but a few hammer strokes. But he plans to
give it all up one day to follow his true passion in life- to open a fine restaurant. This
is why he came to Jannerus, a country well known to appreciate this sort of thing. He
figures he'll have enough money saved up by the end of the year to make his move.
Meanwhile, when working at the forge he will insist that his customers make themselves
comfortable while waiting for their metal to cool. Ever the good host, he will then wheel
out a cart filled with the finest Normidian cheeses and herbal teas. He will always demand
that they try the Fharkos Mushroom Salad, because he made that himself. He'll pour a cup
of tea for everyone and ask which cheese they prefer with the Khenshire wheat cracker- the
Rhantania or the Caldorian. He'll get so caught up in interrogating the customers about
their favorite flavor of sutok that he'll often make them late for their next appointment.
And most sensible folk know better than to interrupt a man who's bigger than their wagon.
As a side observation, it is interesting to note that although Gundren's anvil-sized hands
can easily crush the skull of a horse, he always sips from the teacup with his little
finger extended.

Fluttering BlossomRynos Grahame

Apothecary - Grum by birth, but raised
in Kalimura, Rynos was banished from its capital city for the use of illegal
magic. He
relocated here not long ago, to more tolerant lands, and seems quite content. An
interesting blend of technomancer and magician, Rynos conducts continual lab and field
research from the back of his Apocathary. The Fluttering Blossom is staffed by several
apprentices, or interns (as he calls them) and offers an incredible selection of
local tobaccos. He makes quite a lot of money from his little shop, but it mostly gets
eaten up by the research. Rynos is a pleasant, sociable, and fascinating man, and can
often be found quickly making his way through town, important notes spilling out of his
arms, leaving a scattered paper trail. He's never too busy to say hello to folks on the
street, however. He's the only shopkeeper in town that never seems to be in his
shop.

Halfcoin's Fine LeatherHalfcoin

Leather Shop and Tannery - Halfcoin runs this small establishment alone. He buys pelts from hunters and turns them into the finest leather goods. He is quite talented and makes a wide variety of goods - gloves, boots, saddles, whips, clothing and even leather armor. Halfcoin also has a gift for woodworking and often fashions very good longpipes which he sells. He fancies himself a connoisseur of fine tobaccos and
other smoking herbs. He will accept fine tobacco for payment instead of coin. Halfcoin lives on the second story above his shop.

Crimson ShardSixprong

Jewelry Shop/Money Changer -
Hearthtown's Jeweler and Money Changer is a well built three story stone house that operates by a grant given it by the government. The Crimson Shard operates primarily as a money changer and money lender. One can also pay to store valuables here. Sixprong is an elderly grum with a silvery beard and Kalimuran spectacles who oversees daily operations. He is also a master jeweler and appraiser. Jewelry, precious stones and works of art are occasionally bought, sold and stored here.

Setting SunHauler

Gambling Hall - Hauler's notable
gambling house is frequented by travelers from all over the country. Many fortunes are
made and broken at this place, and Hauler is here to make sure the dealings are fair. He's
almost a meter and a half tall (5 ft), huge for a grum, with scarred, muscular forearms and the
intimidating gaze of an experienced warrior. Very few dare to cross him. Also, he serves a
delightful roasted pheasant.

Farmers' GuildSaddler

Guild Hall - The Agrarian Guild is
always bristling with activity. Lord Nirran pays the guild a visit every so often. Since
the governments' treatment of all guildhouses in town tends to be as fair as the weather,
there's generally not much conflict here. Just simple farm folk in friendly chat.

The Handsome HouseBellows

Inn/Tavern/Gambling Hall - Located several
kilometers
outside of Heathtown, this large inn is perched upon an ancient and bloated
oak tree, some 15 meters (50 ft) above the ground. A broad staircase encircles the
tree leading up to the main entrance. This large inn is run by two families
– one grumman and one elven – who are joined through marriage. The
establishment has 5 large common rooms, 25 private rooms, two dining rooms,
a large gambling hall, 4 private conference rooms and a large vault. At the
Handsome House, they brew their own house ale. Between the two families and
hired help, they have about 25 on the staff. A few other smaller
establishments have developed on the ground around the Handsome House.

This website was last updated
August 1, 2015. Copyright 1990-2015 David M. Roomes.